17 Aldi Products To Avoid Buying, According To Reddit

While Aldi has its fair share of crave-worthy products, there are also those that have brought on poor customer experiences and may be best to avoid. Obviously, not every product a store sells is going to be great, but you hope that such a small and well-curated store like Aldi would only stock the very best. Sure, many of their products have been consistently great, but there are those that have taken a turn for the worse, or were just never been that great to begin with.

In order to find which Aldi products are best to avoid, we decided to hit up Reddit, because there's a strong Aldi community there with customers who have a lot to say about everything related to the store. It turns out, there are several products frequently discussed in a negative light. So, our list focuses on the 17 products Aldi products to avoid, according to customers on Reddit.

Of all the Aldi products customers complain about on Reddit, they seem to complain most about deli meats. Not all the brands of lunch meat have haters, but several do. So, you may want to try the brands that people are making fewer negative remarks about online.

The Aldi and Lunch Mate brands tend to be the ones under fire most on Reddit. The Aldi brand deli meats have had several complaints, including having a layer of slime, going rancid in just three or so days, and having a chemical taste. There aren't as many people complaining about Lunch Mate, but some people have found it to have a bad smell, bad flavor, and rubbery texture. Granted, the chain has carried well-reviewed deli meat brands, like Castle Wood Reserve. However, Castle Wood has been difficult to find for a while, according to disgruntled shoppers on Reddit.

Most Aldi fans will tell you that one of the main reasons to go to Aldi is for its great variety of excellent cheeses, but not every cheese there is created equally. The Aldi pre-sliced deli cheeses aren't at the same standard as all the fancy cheeses you can buy, which means that there are lots of people complaining about them on Reddit.

Some of the biggest complaints are about the quality of the pre-sliced deli cheese itself. Mainly, customers find that the cheese molds within just a few days of opening. However, others mention it being thin and not having a great taste either. Another common complaint is about the packaging. Basically, the bag it comes in can be difficult, or even impossible, to reseal. Therefore, many Redditors move their cheese from its original packaging into a separate zipper storage bag by default, knowing the Aldi one is going to fail them.

Honestly, we're not surprised that the skinny and keto bagels at Aldi don't have the greatest reviews on Reddit. You know from the very beginning that they're going to be made differently from regular bagels. So, you're likely going to lower your expectations when you try them anyway. After all, keto bagels aren't going to be made with wheat like regular bagels, and skinny bagels will have a different texture.

Unfortunately, the flavor just doesn't work for a lot of customers. Instead of simply being thinner bagels with fewer calories, Redditors complain that the Bagel Skinnys taste like cardboard and don't even come sliced. Plus, they seem to go moldy quicker than regular bagels. The keto bagels' flavor also gets compared to cardboard, as well as yoga mats. One commenter said that they decided to feed the squirrels the rest of their keto bagels, and the squirrels wouldn't even touch them.

While many people on Reddit like Aldi's version of Crispy Rice cereal, they don't seem to have as much love for Millville crispy rice treats. Not only do they just not hit the same as the name brand, but many Redditors just don't like them.

There are certainly some people who like them, or they wouldn't stick around, but we found entire Reddit conversations devoted to just how weird these taste. While the box claims this product has no artificial flavors or preservatives, something is still off. Redditors complain they're not buttery and marshmallowy like the name brand, but more oily with a fake, chemical butter flavor. You don't get the same marshmallow stretch from these either, and some customers find them difficult to chew. The smell can be off-putting as well. People not only talk about their kids refusing to eat them, but apparently, raccoons don't like the birthday cake flavored ones that much either.

A lot of customers on Reddit have expressed negative feelings about the Specially Selected brand of slow cooked broccoli and cheddar soup. Luckily, the chain tends to carry two different brands: Specially Selected and Panera. While the Panera broccoli cheddar soup is a pretty safe bet, you might want to consider what Redditors have to say about Specially Selected.

Many customers report abandoning the Specially Selected version after just a few bites because they disliked it so much. It's been described as tasting like plastic and even dishwater. Strangely, more than one customer reported finding pieces of inedible, fibrous broccoli stalk in the soup that they described as being like bits sticks, string, or straw. The smell of this soup had some people trashing it without even trying it. Several people also mentioned having difficulty removing the plastic seal on top of the soup.

While Aldi has plenty of good quality products in its produce aisle, many Redditors don't care for the bananas. The main problem people have with them relates to how they ripen. Aldi customers on Reddit have had a few different experiences with the ripening process. Some have found that the bananas go from green to brown without a yellow phase in between. Then, while many mention the bananas going brown quickly, others have reported they stay green for weeks. One person even found that the green bananas they had were all mush inside. 

One person noticing anomalies with the bananas wondered if maybe the bananas are being frozen to make them last longer, instead of using methods to make them ripen perfectly. The texture seems off to some people, too. One customer mentioned that they will only buy bananas at Aldi when their store has Chiquita bananas, which seem to be a more reliable purchase.

Another produce item that many Redditors have started to avoid at Aldi is onions. Some customers complain about the flavor. However, many people have taken them home only to realize they were rotten or had gone bad quickly.

We've seen complaints ranging from the onions not having a lot of flavor, to tasting old and even being more pungent than average. Although, finding lots of bad onions in the bag is also a complaint, with customers often ending up throwing them out, because so many have gone rotten, moldy, or smelly in just a few days. At times, they'll look just fine on the outer layers, but the middle or inner layers will be dry or rotten. Some of the customers mentioned having similar problems with onions at other grocery stores, however many seem to think the ones from Aldi go bad faster.

While we're in the produce department, let's talk about mini cucumbers. Redditors often avoid Aldi's mini cucumbers. They reportedly don't seem to last long before getting moldy, slimy, and mushy. In fact, several people have noted they're really only good for a day.  

Some customers have had luck with washing them in a mix of vinegar and water, not refrigerating them, or adding paper towels in the package to absorb moisture and get them to last longer. The English cucumbers might be a better choice when you find them. Because of their thin skin, English cucumbers come individually wrapped and tend to last about a week. They'r also often covered in a food-safe wax that further protects the veggie.

Yet another produce item many Redditors complain about from Aldi are potatoes. Too often, they end up being bad or going bad quickly, even if they look fine in the package. Even if they're fine when they buy them, Redditors report that, within a week, they start to rot. Some drip with rot, while others only reveal their rotten insides once you cut them open. Other Redditors find that Aldi potatoes sprout quickly. 

Like with the onions, Reddit users feel like the potatoes at Aldi go bad faster than from other grocery stores. Because of this, we've seen several people say that they never buy potatoes from Aldi unless they plan to use them or process them for later use within a couple of days. Some customers mentioned having better luck when removing them from the plastic bag they come in, and then storing them in a cool and dry place away from light, which is the best way to keep potatoes fresh.

A lot of Redditors have sworn off buying chicken breasts at Aldi, because they've noticed a variety of bad textures. The textural complaints tend to be about the chicken being "woody." Basically, they're tough, chewy, and almost impossible to consume because of their rubbery texture. While the idea that all the chicken at Aldi is tough and woody is an Aldi meat myth we've dispelled, it's still something that customers occasionally experience, just like at other grocery stores. However, some Redditors feel that it happens to them more often at Aldi than elsewhere. 

There are a few types of Aldi chicken that are more promising that others. We've encountered it less often with Aldi's chicken tenderloins, packs with smaller pieces of chicken, and organic chicken, which is what Redditors have noticed, too. So, even if you don't often spring for smaller or organic options with other foods, it might be worth it for Aldi chicken.

One mistake we'll never make again is buying Aldi cream cheese, and many Redditors agree. While it seemed fine a few years back, Happy Farms cream cheese is not as good of a substitute for other name brands anymore. For example, if you're used to eating Philadelphia cream cheese, you're probably going to be disappointed. Some people that once liked the regular and the whipped cream cheese at Aldi have decided that it doesn't taste as good as it once did. Now, it seems to lack flavor. Plus, the texture is odd and sometimes gritty.

The one caveat is that Aldi's cream cheese seems to be okay for cream cheese-based recipes. For example, it could work in a casserole where the texture and flavor gets balanced by other ingredients, but it might not be the best for smearing on top of a bagel.

A lot of the non-food items Aldi sells are just fine, but the ziplock bags are a product that many Redditors avoid. In fact, they don't count on any of the products at Aldi that come packaged in these "resealable" bags. Customers report that the brand of ziplock bags that Aldi carries has decreased in quality over time. For one thing, they don't zip very well or stay closed. Redditors have found entire boxes with zippers that don't close. Many times, the zippers don't even align with each other. Other consumers have even found holes, or have torn holes themselves simply by trying to open the bag. Some seem to work better than others though, including the gallon freezer bags and the ones with sliders.

Not only are Redditors complaining about the empty ziplock bags, but it seems that this also applies to the bags Aldi products are packaged in — the zippers just aren't easy to reseal anymore. Granted, some customers say they're experiencing the same problems with zippered products at other stores, as companies switch to cheaper bags across the board.

Instant mashed potatoes are another product that is a miss for a large number of Redditors. Granted, instant mashed potatoes are never going to taste as good as fresh mashed potatoes, but some Redditors have found Aldi's brand to be especially unpleasant. At just over a dollar a box, it turns out that you get what you pay for with these, with many Redditors being less than impressed with the quality.

All you have to do to make these mashed potatoes is add hot water or microwave with cold water, but unless you're adding extra ingredients to elevate the instant mashed potatoes, Redditors report that Aldi's taste pretty much like cardboard. While most brands of mashed potatoes aren't really something to write home about, there are better brands out there that aren't too much more expensive. So, customers often opt to shop elsewhere for name brand instant mashed potatoes instead.  

Full fat sour cream is another dairy product many customers on Reddit avoid. The texture is the main complaint here, but it's just the regular sour cream that seems to be disliked, rather than the light version. And, many customers report that the sour cream has become worse over time. 

The texture isn't always the same — sometimes it's watery, but at least that can be mixed and incorporated. However, other times, it has the consistency of paste or is rubbery, which is definitely not what you want from sour cream. Some people who don't like the regular sour cream actually prefer Aldi's light sour cream to other brands. For many brands, the light sour cream often has a gritty texture, but customers note that Aldi's doesn't. So, maybe avoid the regular sour cream, but check out the light version. 

Granted, there are also people who love the sour cream. So, there's a possibility that there are regional differences if the chain gets it from different suppliers. In the end, this might be one you need to check out for yourself.

Anything sugar-free is hit or miss, but the off-brand sugar-free coffee creamer at Aldi is a miss for many Redditors. It's not just the flavor that they don't like, but it's also how it combines with coffee. While there are of course some who like the sugar-free coffee creamer, the ones who don't find it undrinkable. 

Redditors use words like "gross," "awful," and "nasty" to describe it. Not only does it taste bad to them, but it also leaves an oily film on top of the coffee. Apparently, it hasn't always been this way, though, with customers remembering it not being so oily sometime in the years around 2020. After it changed, a lot of customers decided they'd rather spend the extra money to buy creamer elsewhere. However, we've noticed that Aldi now carries a few Coffeemate zero sugar creamers, which probably placates those who don't like the Aldi brand.

While some Little Debbie knockoffs from Aldi are fine, the Cosmic Brownie copycats don't pass muster for many Redditors. So, if you've tried the fan favorite ones, like the peanut butter wafers (Nutty Buddy) and Swiss rolls, and liked them, you may find yourself terribly disappointed when you try Baker's Treat confetti brownies.

While there are apparently enough people who like the confetti brownies to keep selling them, most Redditors don't seem to be much of a fan. Descriptions of the flavor include plastic, old protein bars, garbage, and chalk. And, for many people, they're simply inedible and ended up in the trash. The only thing they seem to have going for them is that they're not as sweet as the original and are more chocolatey. Plus, some say that they're better than the Rice Krispie Treat dupes, so at least there's that!

Finally, there are a lot of people on Reddit who aren't overly enthused by the canned black olives Aldi carries. In fact, we didn't find anyone who had anything good to say about them at all. Both the taste and texture are points of contention when it comes to the Tuscan Garden canned black olives. 

As far as the texture goes, customers have found them to be either mushy or crunchy, neither which isn't something you probably want in an olive. Plus, Redditors say they can take on a metallic flavor, likely from the can. Others have found them to taste too close to green olives or even like fish. It turns out that there are multiple external companies that provide the olives that go into the Tuscan Garden cans. So, take note of the company name on the back of the label if your olives taste metallic, and avoid ones from that company in the future.

While we've tried a few of these products personally, we relied heavily on reviews from Aldi customers on Reddit to create our list. We looked for items that many people seem to disapprove of and that have similar complaints repeated by multiple customers. We skipped items where there were only a few complaints, but the majority of customers seemed happy. We also omitted items like oyster crackers, where customers were simply complaining about a size and shape change, rather than the actual quality of the item.